Pay Attention to Ariana Gilchrist redefining luxury streetwear with her brand MALON

Ariana Gilchrist is a third-year fashion design student at SCAD with her own clothing brand MALON.

When did you know you were going to be a designer?

I knew I was going to be a designer when I was in 10th grade. I wanted to start a clothing brand. I just didn’t have the resources or the idea of the clothes I wanted to create.

How would you describe your brand? 

I would describe my brand as minimal when it comes to jackets, shirts, shorts and so on. Soon I want to branch out into menswear, too, so I can cater to both. As of right now though, my focus is on womenswear.

How did you come with the name Malon?

I came up with the name Malon in the fall of 2018. The name was originally MalonACE. That was when I was doing heat press T-shirts in my parent’s basement. I used the name Malon to show appreciation towards my sister. It’s her middle name.

When is the collection coming out?

My new collection will be coming out sometime this summer. I don’t have a set date yet — just making some touches and getting more ideas out to the public.

Where do you see yourself and your brand in the future?

In the future, I see myself and my brand with an actual team. A team to help me do photoshoots, help with my sewing, have my own studio space. I want my brand to grow. I want people to know my name.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Recently my inspiration has come from graphic designs I see daily. I’m also in class, learning new skills as I go. My new collection is based on a jacket I made for a school project. I actually completed it. The jacket boosted my confidence to go forward with the collection.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve made to date?

My favorite piece right now is the jacket I mentioned earlier. It was something I was consistent with. I didn’t throw away the idea. This jacket made sense to me. In a way, it felt like my calling to something bigger. It was meant to happen.

For someone who doesn’t have style (like me) what is a simple yet classy outfit, you’d recommend? 

For someone who doesn’t have style, I would say a simple but classy outfit would be a plain nice white shirt, blues and nice shoes, either being heels or sneakers that have color. You could never go wrong or even all black which is my go-to.

Anything you’d like for the people to know?

I didn’t know if I would actually continue with fashion designer up until this project came up creating that jacket. It was like a wake-up call for me, like, “I can actually do this.” I just have faith in what I do regardless of what anyone thinks. I just can’t wait to be bigger than what I am now. I can feel it coming.